Promotion
by Teddy R. Lupin
Summary: Basically what the title says. Tony needs a new CEO for his company. He doesn't realize that the perfect person-in more than one way-is right in front of him. Tony/Pepper, One-Shot.


Okay, so this is my first Iron Man fic. It's basically based on the fact that in Iron Man 2, Pepper is no longer Tony's PA, but she is CEO of Stark Industries. Since I'm guessing they won't show it in the movie, this is my take on it.

WARNING: Basically a lot of crying and romance. I am powerless to do otherwise. Tony doesn't go on any missions in this fic.

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"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Pepper addressed her boss. Looking up from his work, he gave her a small wave and a smile.

"Morning, Potts," he said. "What can you trouble me with today?" Pepper shook her head exasperatedly, though she could not hide the smile that was plastered onto her face.

"Well…the board wants to know what you're doing about finding a replacement for Obadiah," she replied, somewhat reluctantly.

Obadiah Stane had been Tony's father's best friend, and the younger Stark's mentor. Of course, this was before Stane had plotted to have Tony killed in Afghanistan. After the billionaire announced that Stark Industries would no longer be making weapons, Obadiah grew angry and built a suit to rival Tony's Iron Man suit. They ended up fighting atop Stark Tower, destroying the giant arc reactor inside. Obadiah died in the blast. No one else had been harmed, but the loss of the man who had been his parents' best friend, no matter how insane he had been, was still very fresh inside Tony's heart.

Tony frowned.

"I'm working on it," he said absently, carelessly waving his free hand. It was the same answer he had been giving her for weeks. Pepper rolled her eyes. She wasn't fooled.

"You can't keep putting this off, Tony!" she said, emphasizing his name. "You lost the company's CEO!" Tony stood up, raising his eyebrows.

"I lost him, huh?" he asked angrily. "I didn't make him fight me." As an afterthought, he added, "I would've preferred to have skipped it." Pepper sighed. It was pointless to disagree with Tony Stark.

"Okay, so you're working on it," she said, giving in.

"Very good, Potts," he said, a smile reappearing on his face. "You're learning." She rolled her eyes again. Pepper sighed and walked over towards her boss. She bit her lip.

"I know…it was…" she searched for the right word, but nothing came. Giving up, Pepper sighed. Tony extended his hand and grasped hers, hoping that she wouldn't pull away. She didn't. She simply looked at him, confused.

"Pepper…we've all been through a lot lately," Tony said quietly. She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. "And honestly…I don't know who to trust anymore." Pepper suddenly understood.

_He trusted Obadiah. He's not going to settle for someone he barely knows, regardless of how capable they are._

She slipped her hand out of his hold and gave him a sad little smile as she moved towards the door.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" she asked, knowing that even if everything else changed, their unique relationship would never diminish. Tony smiled and nodded slightly.

"That will be all, Miss Potts," he responded, exactly how Pepper knew he would. He watched her walk back up the stairs, his dark eyes sad.

_God, Pepper, what would I do without you?_

****

"What am I going to do, Rhodey?" Tony groaned. The dark-skinned man opposite him frowned.

"Maybe some fresh blood wouldn't be as bad as you think," Rhodey suggested for the third time. When Tony ignored this comment, the colonel wasn't the least bit surprised. The billionaire took another large swig from a nearly empty bottle of beer.

"I won't let someone new just waltz in and control my company," Tony said heatedly. Rhodey sighed.

"Look, Tony," he said, "I know you want to be able to trust this person, but…"

"But what?"

"Look at Obadiah. You trusted him, didn't you? You'd known him for ages," the colonel pointed out. "But that didn't stop him from trying to kill you."

"No, it didn't," Tony agreed.

"And it pissed you off," Rhodey noted.

"And I thought _I_ was the genius here," Tony quipped sarcastically. Rhodey sighed hopelessly.

"Fine," he said. "Don't take my advice."

"Good, we've reached an understanding," Tony said neutrally. After a moment, he leaned in towards his friend. "So…how'd it go last night?" Rhodey groaned inwardly.

_Why did I know he was going to ask me about that?_

As much as Colonel Rhodes liked to keep his personal life…well, personal, it kept the billionaire interested.

"It was all right," he answered. "Me and Liz basically just talked. But she didn't walk out on me," he added brightly. Liz was a girl that Rhodey had asked out after much encouragement from Tony.

"So whose place did you go to?" Tony asked. Rhodey stared at his friend.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'whose place did you go to?'" Tony repeated.

"Since you've never had a lasting relationship, I'll explain this to you," the colonel said, sighing.

"Enlighten me," the billionaire said, smirking.

"If you want to keep a girl, _never _jump in bed with her on the first date!" Rhodey practically cried. He eyed his friend carefully. "Which might be why you're having trouble." Tony looked thoughtfully at his beer.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he replied. Rhodey rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Play dumb. But it's painfully obvious." Tony smirked.

"Enlighten me again, then."

"Pepper."

"Ah," said Tony.

"You two are so into each other," Rhodey said, apparently finding in difficult to hold back a laugh. "You're just too damn proud to admit it." Tony frowned.

"She already said it," he said flatly. "I'm her boss. It's inappropriate."

"Since when did that stop Tony Stark?" Rhodey asked, disbelieving.

"Since he fell in love," Tony answered quietly. He stood up and strode out of the room, leaving the colonel staring at the place where Tony had exited.

****

**A few days later**

Pepper heaved a sigh and tried to concentrate on her work. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Tony out of her mind. _He held my hand. And I could feel his relief when I didn't pull away. Is it possible…that he feels the same way I do?_ A few tears silently dripped down her cheeks, remembering the day Rhodey called to tell her that Tony was missing.

"_Pepper, I'm sorry." Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe it. The man who was always there…always with a smile on his face, despite the circumstances…was gone._

"_He's not coming back, is he, Rhodey?" she asked. Silence._

"_I'm afraid not." Though she had braced herself for it, Pepper couldn't help breaking into a fresh set of tears._

For every day during his absence, Pepper would go down into his workshop, hoping that it would all be just a bad dream, and Tony would be there, saying, "That will be all, Miss Potts."

But as she looked around at the emptiness of the large workshop and saw the dust collecting on his prized possessions, Pepper was forced to accept the truth. Tony was gone. And he wasn't coming back.

The day that Rhodey called again to tell her that they found her boss, she rushed out to the platform to greet them, her heart beating a million miles a minute, and a few tears dripping down her cheeks.

_She saw him walk off the plane into the light of day, a sling around his right arm. He walked straight towards her._

"_Your eyes are red," he noted. "A few tears for your long-lost boss?" She couldn't help but to smile._

"_Tears of joy," she responded. "I hate job hunting."_

Pepper smiled at this memory. She couldn't remember ever feeling happier than how she felt seeing him alive and well. _Tony isn't gone anymore_, she had reminded herself. _He'll always be here._

"_Pepper, how big are your hands?"_

"_What?"_

"_How big are your hands?" Tony repeated over the intercom._

"_I don't understand why-"_

"_Get down here, I need you."_

_Of course, she immediately headed downstairs to his workshop. _

Helping him to replace the arc reactor was a memory she wouldn't soon forget-for more than one reason.

"_Don't ever, ever, ever ask me to do anything like that ever again," Pepper said, still disgusted by the mess on her hands. Tony fixed her with an intense gaze._

"_I don't have anyone…but you."_

Pepper remembered fearing for his life, up to the point where she quit her job because she couldn't handle it.

"_There is the next mission," he said. "And nothing else."_

"_Is that so?" she asked sadly. "Well, then, I quit." Tears were starting to build up. He simply looked at her._

"_You stood by my side all these years, while I reaped the benefits of destruction," he said, his voice full of anger and disbelief. "And now that I'm trying to protect the people I put in harm's way, you're gonna walk out?"_

"_You're going to kill yourself, Tony," she said, her voice shaking. "I'm not going to be a part of it." _

"_I shouldn't be alive," he said quietly. "Unless it was for a reason." Tony looked at Pepper, his face pained. "I'm not crazy, Pepper. I just finally know...what I have to do. And I know…in my _heart_…that it's right." Pepper exhaled, trying to keep calm. She gave him a look that said, _if you must_._

"_You're all I have too, you know," she said quietly, and walked away without a second glance. _

Giving up, Pepper set her BlackBerry down on the table and within seconds, her tears were flowing freely. She heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

"Tony?" she heard a familiar voice call. "Tony!" Rhodey came into the living room and immediately noticed her on the couch, her eyes red. He frowned. "Pepper?" She turned around, wiping tears from her eyes. She forced a smile. "Are you all right?" He sat down in the armchair, concerned. She nodded.

"Yeah," she answered. Then she gestured to the stairs. "Tony's not here. He's at a meeting in New York. Hopefully the board will make him choose the new CEO." Rhodey smiled, looking mildly impressed.

"Yeah, all right," he said. "Tell him I came by."

"Of course," Pepper replied. When he stayed seated, she asked, "What?" Rhodey gave her a knowing look.

"I can see it in your eyes," he said. "You really care for him, don't you?" She bit her lip and hesitated. Tentatively, she nodded slowly.

"But it's not right," she said, a tear dripping down her cheek. "Tony's my boss."

"Just talk to him," Rhodey suggested. "Maybe-" Pepper shook her head.

"No," she said.

"Then you know the solution, don't you?" he asked, smiling sadly. She returned it and nodded slowly.

"Yeah."

****

"_I don't have anyone…but you."_

"_You're going to kill yourself, Tony!"_

"_And I know in my _heart_…that it's right."_

"_I need you."_

"_The truth is…"_

"_You are a man with everything…and nothing."_

"_I am Iron Man."_

Tony woke with a start. He ran his fingers through his messy dark hair and sighed. _I think I'm going insane. Half the time I don't even know where I am. I'm living on autopilot. I need something to get me out of this. _

He made his way down to the kitchen, searching the refrigerator for a beer. Finding what he wanted, he went to the living room to sit down. About to stretch across the couch, he nearly fell over when he saw that someone was already on it. Pepper had fallen asleep working. Tony smiled softly and kneeled on the carpet, not wanting to wake her.

_Pepper…if only you knew…God, I love you…_

She shifted slightly in her sleep, unaware that he was watching her. Smiling sadly, Tony picked up a blanket from the edge of the couch and lightly placed it around her. Not able to resist, he placed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Turning around, a piece of paper caught Tony's eye. It was a letter to him, from Pepper.

_Dear Tony,_

_I wish I knew how to start. I wish I knew how to put my feelings into words…but I can't. I just want you to know something. I know it isn't professional, and inappropriate on the highest level, but I can't hold it in any longer. I can't hide beneath my mask of business anymore. _

_Tony…I love you. I wish I could tell you when and where…but I don't know. I always thought that I never stood a chance with you. But now my feelings are clearer than they've ever been…and I need to tell you before I explode. I truly, deeply, love you. _

_Like we've already said, it's unprofessional. But I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be nothing more than a bystander. _

_With all of this in mind…I quit. And you can't stop me. As long as you're my boss…I will never be truly free. I can't continue to deny my feelings for you. _

_By the time you read this letter…I will be gone. And for your own sake, I beg you, don't come after me. I'm sorry, Tony. I will miss you, and think of you constantly. I hope, that in time, everything will work out for the better._

_Yours forever,  
Pepper Potts_

Tony set the letter down, his hand shaking. She loved him. And she was quitting her job. But she was leaving. Before he knew it, tears came steadily running down his weathered face. He heard movement from the couch, and quickly stood up, hurriedly wiping away the tears.

Pepper sat up, thoroughly confused.

"Tony?" she asked groggily. "What-" He smiled half-heartedly.

"I think you fell asleep working, Pepper," he said gently. "Sorry if I disturbed you." She bit her lip. What should she say? Then she noticed the letter, slanted to one direction, definitely not how she had put it before. Pepper looked back and forth between Tony and the letter. _Oh, God._ He started to walk away.

"Tony, wait-" Turning around, he sighed.

"What?" he asked, a forcefulness coming from his voice that she hadn't heard before. "What more can you ask of me?"

"I'm sorry," she answered quietly. She gestured to the letter. "That's not how I meant for you to find out." He smiled sadly and extended his hand. She took it hesitantly, and Tony pulled her towards him, enfolding her in his arms.

"Pepper…" he whispered, "Don't go. Please…I need you." He felt his t-shirt dampen as she cried.

"Tony…" she whispered through her tears, "I can't deal with this. I don't have a choice." Pepper pulled out of his warm embrace. Feeling immensely helpless, Tony made to sit down, defeated, but a thought struck him. A brilliant, wonderful idea. He smiled. A real, true smile.

"Pep…you're fired," he said in his most professional voice. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. "And you're hired again," he said, his smile growing.

"I don't understand-"

"I've been blind for so long," he said. "I can't believe that I didn't think of this sooner."

"What?" she asked, still not comprehending.

"Every day, you've asked me if I've found a new CEO," Tony explained. "And now I have." Understanding dawned upon her face.

"Tony-" He held his finger up to silence her.

"Pepper, you're no longer my PA," he said firmly. "You're now acting CEO of Stark Industries and all its subsidiaries." Her mouth dropped open.

"Why?" she managed to ask.

"Why?" he repeated. "Because I trust you more than anyone else on this Earth. I know you, of all people, will never betray me. You of all people I can trust with everything. And…I guess this is confession time for me too." Pepper frowned, crinkling her eyebrows. "I love you," he admitted. "I think I always have." She smiled in disbelief. Coming towards him, Pepper grasped his hand. He held it tightly, afraid to let go. He pulled her close to him to whisper one last plea. "Pepper…don't go. Please. You're all I have left."

"I'm not going anywhere," she said quietly through her tears. "I'm yours forever." Tony softly stroked her cheek, and leaned down slightly, the letter lying on the table, forgotten.

Tony Stark rarely did things he didn't think about doing. But as he leaned forward to kiss Pepper, his mind was completely blank. As their lips touched, they both knew that they couldn't deny their feelings if they tried.

"Pepper-" Tony started, as they broke apart from each other.

"Tony-" she said at the same time.

"I love you," he said simply, finally free to say what he had been longing to say for years.

"I love you, too," she said quietly. "I don't know why it was so hard-" Tony cut her off.

"It doesn't matter anymore," he said. "You understand? We're together now, all right?" She opened her mouth, then on second thought, closed it again, and just nodded. "Nothing will tear us apart. We're strong, right?" Pepper nodded again, sniffling.

He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked back to the couch, where they knew there would be much to talk about…if they had the time.

THE END

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Liked it? Hated it? Please let me know. I have a few ideas for a sequel, but I won't post it unless I get a good amount of positive reviews for this one.

Jason


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